IGA Blog

Balancing Welfare and Productivity

10/22/2018

Check out this great article over at Ontario Goat.

Good animal welfare is defined, for the purposes of this article, as when an animal has both its physical needs (adequate housing, food, and water, and good health) and mental needs (able to perform normal behaviours, not frustrated, fearful, or distressed) met.

There are many perspectives on animal welfare. Some may think that an animal that is producing well has good animal welfare while others think that animals with a high level or production must have poor welfare. In reality, the link between production and welfare is more complex.

This graph, adapted from one created by Richard M. Bennett from the University of Reading in the UK, represents a simple theory on the relationship between welfare and productivity.

READ MORE…

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Ontario Small Ruminant Veterinary Conference, June 17-19, 2019

7/24/2018

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“Keeping Small Ruminants Healthy and Productive”

The purpose of this conference is to provide an opportunity for veterinarians, researchers, educators, producers and support industries to share knowledge and ideas on improving and maintaining the health of sheep and goats, not just in Canada but around the world. SRVO has been offered the unique opportunity to present this conference in conjunction with the Sheep Veterinary Society of the UK as their quadrennial “European” meeting.

We are soliciting abstracts for presentations and posters on research findings, case reports, practice tips related to disease issues in sheep and goats. We are offering technical tours, including farm visits, some tourist delights and a pre-conference tour for those coming from away. We guarantee there will be something for everybody with an interest in the health of sheep and goats.

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Identification of amino acid variation in the prion protein associated with classical scrapie in Canadian dairy goats

7/9/2018

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Abstract
Background
A clear association of amino acid variation in the prion protein gene (PRNP) with susceptibility and resistance to classical scrapie exists in sheep, but not in goats. In this study we examined DNA sequence variation in the PRNP of 149 animals from two scrapie-infected herds of Saanen dairy goats, and identified 6 non-synonymous variants in the coding region.

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Profile – Dr. Stephan Wildeus

4/30/2018

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Regional Director for USA, Canada, and Puerto Rico

Stephan received his B.S. in Animal Science from Montana State University, USA, a Ph.D. in Animal Reproduction from James Cook University, Australia, and completed a post-doctoral fellowship at Texas A&M University.

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Comparing Meat Breeds

1/19/2018

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Which meat goat breed is best?

Canada is home to Boer, Kiko, Spanish, and Myotonic meat goats. Each meat goat producer will be able to tell you why they raise a specific breed, a combination of breeds, or cross breed of two or more breeds on their farm. However, what works well on one operation may not be ideal for all situations. While insight from experienced meat goat producers is invaluable, recent science has been investigating the profitability of different breeds of meat goats.

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CD-T Vaccinations

10/5/2015

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Written by Susan Schoenian, IGA member, and Sheep & Goat Specialist, University of Maryland Co-operative Extension

There are many diseases for which sheep and goats can be vaccinated, but there is only one universally-recommended vaccine, and it is for the clostridial diseases that commonly affect small ruminants.

Clostridial diseases are fatal diseases that strike ruminant livestock suddenly, often causing death before any clinical signs are seen. Clostridia (bacteria) are widespread in the environment. They are normally found in the soil and feces. They are also present in the digestive tract and tissues of healthy animals. For these reasons, vaccination is the best way to prevent disease outbreaks.

Two clostridial vaccines are commonly used in sheep and goats: a 3-way vaccine called CDT; and an 8-way vaccine. CDT protects healthy sheep and goats against clostridium perfringens type C and D (overeating disease) and clostridium tetani (tetanus). The 8-way vaccine protects against these same diseases, plus several additional clostridial diseases, including blackleg. The 3-way vaccine is probably all that’s needed on most sheep and goat farms.

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North America Activity Report – 2013

1/1/2014

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Written by Stephan Wildeus, IGA Regional Director for USA, Canada & Puerto Rico.

Four national main goat events were held in the U.S. in 2013.

The American Dairy Goat Association Conference and Annual Convention, an eight-day event held in Asheville, NC. Shows and workshops were held during the convention. The IGA Secretary-Treasurer gave a workshop on “Integrated Gastrointestinal Parasite Control and FAMACHA Certification” and another on ‘Forages for Meat Goats”, and the official IGA poster, membership applications and ERCG2014 were displayed. The IGA secretary-treasurer also spoke briefly at one of the board meetings, describing IGA activities and thanking the American Dairy Goat Association for their sustained institutional financial support.

The 10th Anniversary of the American Consortium for Small Ruminant Parasite Control at Fort Valley State University, GA. This Integrated Parasite Management/Train-the-Trainer Conference educates stakeholders in the small ruminant industry on the most up-to-date methods and recommendations for gastrointestinal parasite control as well as providing training and certification in Integrated Gastrointestinal Parasite Management. Three IGA board members (Felipe Torres Acosta, Hervé Hoste and Jean-Marie Luginbuhl) are also members of the American Consortium and made oral presentations.

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Report: AGBA Second Annual Conference, September 27-29, 2013

10/12/2013

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Special thanks to GoatKeeper for this report.

Producers from around the province came together in Camrose, Alberta, September 27, 28, and 29, to celebrate their involvement in Alberta's goat industry. The event kicked off with a BBQ and social Friday night, and although the weather was nippy it, didn't dampen producers' spirits as everyone enjoyed the food, catching up with their fellow producers and making new friends.

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Canadian National Farm-Level Biosecurity Standard for the Goat Industry

7/11/2013

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Biosecurity is a set of practices that are used to minimize the transmission of disease-causing organisms in animal populations, including their introduction, spread within the population, and release. Biosecurity is proactive and focuses on routine, day-to-day on-farm activities to protect the health of the herd.

The Standard was developed through a partnership of the Canadian National Goat Federation (CNGF) and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), in collaboration with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC). An advisory committee made up of producers, along with representatives from regional and sector-specific goat industry organizations, colleges and universities, and the public sector, provided invaluable guidance throughout the process.

The Standard is a useful tool for goat producers when developing and implementing on-farm biosecurity plans. It contains a set of recommendations that can be adapted to the needs of each farm to raise its current level of biosecurity.

Why is biosecurity important?
Animal health management has undergone significant change in recent years, influenced by:

greater understanding of the risk of new and emerging pathogens,
increased awareness of zoonoses and concern for public health,
changing epidemiology of disease, due to the concentration and commingling of animals and people in more intensive farming situations,
new production practices in agriculture, including farm specialization,
globalization, increasing movement of people and goods,
opportunities to sell to additional markets, both in Canada and internationally, and
more attention to traceability and the ability to identify product attributes and production conditions along supply chains.

As a result, using a proactive approach as the first line of defence in animal health is more important now than ever before. Livestock industries have therefore started to shift their focus to disease prevention and on-farm biosecurity.

Clearly, biosecurity is important not only for improving animal health on the farm, but also for strengthening the Canadian goat industry as a whole.

Read more…

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Balancing Welfare and Productivity

Ontario Small Ruminant Veterinary Conference, June 17-19, 2019

“Keeping Small Ruminants Healthy and Productive”

Identification of amino acid variation in the prion protein associated with classical scrapie in Canadian dairy goats

Profile – Dr. Stephan Wildeus

Comparing Meat Breeds

CD-T Vaccinations

North America Activity Report – 2013

Report: AGBA Second Annual Conference, September 27-29, 2013

Canadian National Farm-Level Biosecurity Standard for the Goat Industry

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